"The Beast" is the ultimate 650PS off‑road Chevrolet

It’s what Chevrolet calls a “concept vision of the ultimate in high-performance desert running”. To us, it looks like Chevrolet were asked to design a new Warthog for the Halo games. Based on a heavily modified Silverado chassis, it’s an amalgam of the latest and greatest Chevrolet Performance products. Under the bonnet is a Chevy Performance LT4 supercharged V8 crate motor good for over 650PS (478kW), seen most often in the last-generation Corvette Z06.

Strapped to the chassis is a 4130 chromoly tubular safety structure, a long-travel off-road suspension system with a five-link rear set-up and a 91-inch track. The 20-inch beadlock wheels are shod in monster 37-inch tyres, two spares of which can be found in the truck bed. The bodywork is bespoke, with tubular doors and a clamshell nose. The overhangs are minimised to almost nothing to maximise potential attack angles.

On the inside it’s very much minimalism and function over luxury. Four Recaro seats each come with four-point harnesses. A pair of 7-inch LCD screens gives all the data needed to help the driver keep the Beast wheels-down.

“The Chevy Beast concept takes the popularity of high-performance off-road trucks to the next level,” said Jim Campbell, GM U.S. vice president of Performance and Motorsports.

“It’s a vision for a new dimension of Chevrolet Performance capability from a brand that’s been pioneering performance and supporting customer personalization for more than 50 years.”

So, the only question is whether you’d have a beast, or a Bronco DR? For the moment, that’s answered for you. The Bronco is going into production, whereas the Beast is a show car… for now.